


Rose Buddies

by QueerMoth



Category: Rule of Rose (Video Game)
Genre: Aceflux aroflux Diana, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Amanda is the token allocishet friend, Autistic apothisexual apothiromantic Eleanor, Demisexual lesbian Jennifer, Disabled Jennifer, Found Family, Gen, Lesbian Meg, Look out! Orphans!, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Queer and disabled and neurodivergent author, Service dog Brown, These are headcanons but whatever, genderfluid wendy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:47:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26613940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueerMoth/pseuds/QueerMoth
Summary: Jennifer, a queer, disabled college student, is studying to become a social worker and help orphans like herself.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 7





	Rose Buddies

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know how the foster care system works, I'm so sorry. I did some research, but I'm afraid that I'm still gonna get it wrong. Sigh. I've been planning on writing this fic for years, and my ADD finally let me write it.

“Brown, come,” Jennifer called out as she waited by the front door of her apartment, holding Brown’s service dog vest. Jennifer smiled when she heard the jingle jangle of Brown’s collar when he jumped off their shared bed and trotted over to her. After putting on Brown’s vest, she grabbed Brown’s leash, her umbrella, and headed out to the bus stop. Normally, she didn’t bother to use an umbrella unless it was pouring, because she liked the rain, but she didn’t want to show up on her first day of work looking like she had just been tossed into a lake.

The rain kept any other passenger away, leaving Jennifer and Brown the only passengers on the bus, which Jennifer didn’t mind. Usually, people heeded the ‘Service Dog, Please Don’t Touch’ sign on Brown’s vest, but sometimes a child would grab Brown, which Jennifer couldn’t fault them too much on, but their parents only sometimes intervened, but when older people patted Brown on his head or whistled at him to get his attention, that’s what bugged Jennifer, but she didn’t have to worry about that, at least not right now.

The ride wasn’t a long one, and soon Jennifer could see her stop approaching. She pulled the cord, and Brown wagged his tail when a bell inside the bus dinged. When the bus stopped, Jennifer thanked the bus driver, who ignored her, and Jennifer and Brown exited the bus, and Jennifer opened up her umbrella. The Rose Garden foster home, the place Jennifer was applying to, wasn’t a far walk, and as Jennifer was getting closer to the gated building, she saw some kids playing in the front lawn, drawing in the mud with sticks or playing with worms. A kid and her locked eyes, and Jennifer smiled and waved at them, who shyly looked away and went back to gently petting an earthworm.

Ms. Hill, the woman who was interviewing Jennifer, told her that the gate was going to be locked when she arrived and to call her when she got there so Ms. Hill could open it. As Jennifer was reaching into her pocket to grab her phone, a kid grabbed the gate, rattling it and startling Jennifer. The kid had red hair and a face littered in freckles and didn’t say anything to Jennifer as she unlocked the gate and pushed the gate open.

“Thank you very much,” Jennifer said with a smile to the red-haired girl.

“Whatever.”

“Diana, that’s not what we say to someone when they thank us,” a woman with long, dirty blonde hair said as she approached the gate with her arms crossed, trying to keep the cold away and looking very tired.

“You don’t, maybe, but I do,” Diana said with a frown and shot Jennifer a glare.

“Diana.” The woman looked down on Diana, voice stern and a look of disappointment on her face. Diana sighed and, with the smile so forced, gave Jennifer a curtsy, even though she was wearing jeans. “You are so very welcome.” After she said it, her smile faded, and she marched towards the building.

As Jennifer was watching Diana walk away, the woman who replaced her sighed and shook her head. “Diana can be mean at times. She’s not having the best day right now, but I’ll talk to her later and get her to apologize.”

“Oh, no, that’s okay. That would probably just make her hate me more,” Jennifer said with a smile but was obviously hurt by how Diana had treated her.

“Diana doesn’t hate you; she’s just a teenager,” The woman said dismissively, then offered Jennifer a hand. Jennifer took it gladly and shook the woman’s hand.

“I’m Ms. Hill.”

“Jennifer.”

“Nice to meet you, Jennifer.” Ms. Hill said then looked down at Brown. “Cute dog.”

“Thank you! His name is Brown,” Jennifer said, beaming.

“Nice to meet you, too, Brown. Let’s get you two out of the rain.” Ms. Hill turned and headed inside. Jennifer and Brown followed, but before Jennifer crossed the threshold, she looked over at where the kids who were playing in the mud, but they were already gone, their sticks protruding out of the mud like fingers. When Jennifer and Brown made it inside, the first thing Jennifer noticed was how comfortably warm it was. The second was Brown shaking water off of him and onto her. Jennifer snorted and shielded her face from the droplets.

“This way,” Ms. Hill said and guided Jennifer and Brown into an office, the first room on the right, and as soon as they were both inside, she closed the door.

“Please sit,” Ms. Hill said and then sat behind the desk. Jennifer sat down and Brown sat next to her while Ms. Hill looked over Jennifer’s résumé she had printed out.

“You’re in school for social work.”

“Yes.”

“What made you want to be a social worker?”

“I was an orphan, still am, was never adopted, but yeah.” Jennifer tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I just want to help kids. I want to help everyone, but I figure I’d start with kids.”

Ms. Hill nodded. “How old are you?”

“I’m nineteen.”

“So, it hasn’t been long since you left foster care.”

“No.”

“I see.” Ms. Hill went quiet again as she read more of Jennifer’s résumé. Jennifer could hear kids running and screaming in the halls and hoped they were okay. Who was watching them? Was it just Ms. Hill here, or did she have help? 

“So, since you’re pretty intimate with the system, you know that some kids in foster care are dealing with trauma.”

“Yes.” Jennifer was lucky and only had to deal with not having parents. She grew up with a few kids who were put through the ringer again and again, who came out of it with anger, trust, and self-harm issues.

“Are you prepared to deal with a child who is dealing with trauma?”

“Yes, absolutely.”

Ms. Hill hummed in acknowledgement and placed Jennifer’s résumé down in front of her.

“To be honest Jennifer, you’re the first person to apply here in months, and I really need the help. Clara and I really need the help.”

“Clara?”

“My daughter. She’s in school right now, but I’ll introduce you two later.” Ms. Hill smiled, looking a little more tired. “So, when can you start?”

Jennifer’s eyes widened, and a flustered smile spread across her face. “Ah, I can start whenever you want me to start.”

“How about in three days?”

“That’s fine.”

“Good, good.” Ms. Hall yawned. “Oh, damnit, I didn’t ask about the hours. Are you okay with working part-time?”

Jennifer nodded. “Yes, I am.”

“Of course you are. That was a stupid question. You’re a student. What student wants to work a full-time job and go to school? Hell, who wants to work a full-time job at all? I sure as hell don’t.” Ms. Hill stood from her desk and planted a hand on it and raised her other hand at Jennifer, who took it and shook it. “Welcome, Jennifer. We’ll see you in three days.”

Ms. Hill ushered Jennifer and Brown to the gate and locked it behind them. Jennifer didn’t have any classes today, so she got back on the bus and headed back to her dorm so she could enjoy the rain from her warm, dry bed.


End file.
